Weed control in transplanted henna (Lawsonia inermis)

To study the effect of herbicides on weed control in henna in south Kerman province, an experiment was carried out in randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with 3 replications in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. Treatments included trifluralin (Treflan, 48% EC) at 2 and 2.5 Lha-1, per-transplant, pendimethalin (Stomp, 33% EC) at 3 and 4 Lha-1 pre weed emergence and after transplanting, imazethapyr (Pursuit, 10% SL) at 0.5, 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 Lha-1 + Cytogate at 1 Lha-1 at 2 to 4 leaf stage of broadleaf weeds + haloxyfop –R- methyl- ester (Gallant, Super 10.8% EC) at 750 ml ha-1 in the 3 leaf stage of narrow-leaf weeds, gramoxone (paraquat, 20% SL) at 3 Lha-1 and 10 -15 cm stage of weeds with protection cover over henna, hand weeding and weed free. Results of combined analysis in three-cutting henna showed that herbicide applications significantly reduced density and dry matter of amaranth (Amaranthus viridis), purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and Egyptian grass (Dactyloctenium aegypticum. The Best treatments for weeds control was the imazethapyr (0.8 ha-1), pendimethalin (4 Lha-1) and trifluralin (2.5 Lha-1) applications, respectively. Application of imazethapyr (0.8 ha-1) + haloxyfop decreased amaranth (69-76%), purslane (68-74%) and Egyptian grass (60-73%) biomass. Also, this treatment increased henna biomass in the first, second and third harvest by 90, 76 and 79 %, respectively. Therefore, this treatment is introduced as the superior treatment.